The Secretary General of SAARC Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar called on Honorable Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the latter’s office in Tejgaon, Dhaka today.

During the meeting, the Secretary General briefed Honorable Chief Advisor on the current activities of SAARC, its Regional Centres and Specialized Bodies as well as the activities planned for the upcoming year. He conveyed sincere thanks to Honorable Chief Advisor for keeping SAARC in priority of consideration and for continuously advocating on its importance for the well-being of people in the region. The Secretary General expressed appreciation for the role played by Bangladesh in the foundation of the Organization in 1985. He further stated that the celebration of the historic 40th anniversary of the foundation is an important occasion, which would provide a right context to revitalize the Organization. The Secretary General stressed on the need of sincere efforts from Member States in reinvigorating the SAARC process.

Underlining the importance of SAARC as the platform of regional cooperation in South Asia, Honorable Chief Advisor emphasized that SAARC should focus more on activities that would connect people and enhance the sense of fraternity, understanding and SAARC identity through the programmes such as the exchanges of youths, journalists, entrepreneurs, and writers, among others. He expressed the need of making SAARC more impactful, focusing on functional areas such as climate change, sustainable development, renewable energy, among others, which are of common interest of all Member States.

Also today, the Secretary General called on the Foreign Affairs Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh Honorable Md. Touhid Hossain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka. During the meeting, the two Dignitaries discussed the existing situation within SAARC and the way forward for the Organization. The Secretary General expressed gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh for the continued support provided to SAARC and its various initiatives and activities. Honorable Foreign Affairs Advisor, recalling the initial days of the foundation of SAARC and the high vision of SAARC Leaders at the time of the Foundation, stated that it is in the common interest of all Member States to move the process forward.

The Secretary General is currently in Dhaka on his Introductory Visit to Bangladesh.

SAARC Secretariat,
02 December 2024

H.E. the Secretary General Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar received at his office today the Director for the UNESCO Regional Office in New Delhi Mr Tim Curtis and UNESCO Representative in Nepal Mr. Michael Croft. 

The Sixth SAARC-ADB Special Meeting on Regional Economic Integration Study (Ph-II) was held in Kathmandu on 24-25 October 2024. The theme of the meeting was ‘Cross Border Trade in South Asia: Prospects and Challenges’.  

The Meeting was attended by delegations from the SAARC Member States. Representatives of the Commerce, Finance and Foreign Ministries of the SAARC Member States gathered to discuss the implementation status of seven prioritized recommendations of the Regional Economic Integration Study (Phase-II) conducted by ADB. The Sixth SAARC-ADB Special Meeting on Regional Economic Integration was held with the financial and technical assistance of ADB.

The delegates discussed actions taken at the national level for implementation of the seven recommendations of the Study, namely, implementation of SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS); Reduction/Removal of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and Para-Tariff Barriers (PTBs); Investment Cooperation; Reduction of products in the Sensitive Lists; Trade Facilitation Measures; Energy Cooperation and Improvement in Connectivity (rail, road, air, maritime) among the Member States.  

The delegates also deliberated on different aspects of Cross Border Trade in South Asia, its prospects and challenges.

SAARC Secretariat

Kathmandu, Nepal

25 October 2024

The Governing Board (GB) of the SAARC Cultural Centre held its Fourteenth Meeting at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 22 to 23 October 2024. Representatives from the esteemed Governments of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka attended in person, while representatives from the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Republic of India, the Republic of Maldives, Nepal, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan participated virtually.

Representing His Excellency, the Secretary General of SAARC, Director Irosha Cooray attended the meeting. The session was chaired by Mr. Md Mizanur, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Bangladesh.

During the meeting, the implementation of the Thirteenth Governing Board’s directives was thoroughly assessed, ensuring that the Centre’s activities were aligned with the objectives set in the previous year. Through comprehensive discussions, the Governing Board finalized the anticipated programs and budget for the upcoming year, focusing on enhancing the Centre’s role in promoting cultural exchange and cooperation among SAARC member states. Additionally, all administrative and financial matters related to the Centre, including the audit report, were carefully reviewed to ensure transparency and accountability in the Centre’s operations. The two days of productive deliberations concluded successfully, resulting in several constructive recommendations, which are set to be presented at the upcoming Programming Committee meeting in Kathmandu for further consideration and approval. These recommendations aim to strengthen the Centre’s initiatives and ensure the effective implementation of its programs in the year ahead.

SAARC Secretariat
23 October 2024